Peradine

I've got a little experience with Python, and I like how the simplistic syntax works. I'm keen to develop JS code, but I'm confused by the current JS ecosystem. Is it best to learn normal JS, or some compiles-to-JS language (like coffeescript etc). And is there anywhere I can learn about the apparently huge number of JS tools and workflows out there?

I can't understand how a human, even with heaps of intelligence and education, is better at predicting which stocks will go up/down than an algorithm that can look at all the data in the entire market. What skill do stock traders use that can't be replaced by computation?